Boy · #6,313 in 2026

Toronto

Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located on a harbour at the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is the fourth-most populous city in North America, behind Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles, with a census population of 2,794,356 as of 2021.

Current Rank
#6,313
Peak Rank
#4,056 (1973)
Total Babies
49
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1956
First Year
1984
Last Year
1973
Peak Year
#4056
Peak Rank
49
Total Count
8
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Toronto

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located on a harbour at the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is the fourth-most populous city in North America, behind Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles, with a census population of 2,794,356 as of 2021.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Main article: Name of Toronto The name Toronto has been recorded with various spellings in French and English, including Tarento , Tarontha , Taronto , Toranto , Torento , Toronto , and Toronton . The most frequent early spelling, Taronto , referred to "The Narrows", a channel of water through which Lake Simcoe discharges into Lake Couchiching where the Wendat had planted tree saplings to corral fish at what is now the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs site in Orillia . This narrows was called " tkaronto " by the Mohawk , meaning "where there are trees standing in the water", and was recorded as early as
Origin & history
Main article: History of Toronto For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Toronto history .

The Story of Toronto

American parents first put Toronto on the record books as a baby boy name in 1956, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1973, when 7 Torontos were born — ranking #4,056 that year. About 78% of every Toronto on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Toronto last appeared in the published SSA data in 1984, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 49 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Toronto

Phonetically similar names — useful when Toronto is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Trento
  • Taranto
  • Tonto
  • Trenta
  • Treinta
  • Terrano
  • Trente
  • Otranto
  • Trato
  • Traunt
  • Trendy
  • Trent

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Toronto

What does the name Toronto mean?
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located on a harbour at the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is the fourth-most populous city in North America, behind Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles, with a census population of 2,794,356 as of 2021.
How popular is Toronto in 2026?
In 2026, Toronto ranks #6,313 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Toronto most popular?
Toronto reached its peak popularity in 1973, ranking #4,056 that year with 7 babies given the name.
Is Toronto a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Toronto is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Toronto?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Toronto include Oman, Wydell, Nicol. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Oman
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Wydell
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Nicol
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Juba
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Deatrick
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Tamboura
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Germane
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Amondo
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About the name Toronto

Toronto is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 49 births in the dataset. Toronto's peak popularity came in 1973 when it ranked #4,056. Use the chart and map above to compare Toronto's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.